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Rafa Benitez discusses Newcastle’s upcoming January transfer window

It is now only 39 days until the January transfer window opens for Premier League clubs.

So far in his time at Newcastle United, Rafa Benitez has been blocked by Mike Ashley from buying any players in the mid-season window.

In the Championship season, the manager wanted to make signings to make sure of promotion and help prepare for a likely return to the top tier, only for nobody to arrive.

Whilst desperately fighting relegation last January, Rafa wasn’t allowed to buy anybody, but was allowed minimal funds to brig in three loan players.

Asked on Friday about the upcoming January transfer window, Rafa Benitez pointed out a number of issues.

The NUFC boss saying that difficult to land the top class players because they are still involved in the Champions League.

Whilst as for loans, the manager points to already having Rondon and Kenedy and says ‘no options there’, as rules say you can only have two domestic loans.

A report earlier this week stated that Newcastle were looking to make Salomon Rondon a permanent signing in January with Dwight Gayle to be involved in a swap, this would tie down Rondon AND free up a domestic loan place. Rafa not commenting on that possibility today.

Premier League clubs can sign players from midnight on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, up to 11pm on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

However, Rafa says that it is also important to win games before the transfer window opens.

If it needs to be permanent signings that would come in, the reasoning will be that the club needs to look as attractive as possible and if you are looking at likely relegation, which decent players would be signing up for that?

There are of course still loan signings that can come in from foreign leagues but then you are very lucky if they adapt as quickly as Martin Dubravka did. Especially when it is very likely they will come from a weaker league and/or have had little regular football this season so far.

Newcastle have a decent run of matches before the January transfer window opens, with Liverpool the only top six club Rafa’s team have to face out of eight Premier League matches.

Rafa Benitez asked about possibilities in the January transfer window:

“January is always difficult.

“It is not always a question of how much, it is also about finding the players.

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